Tag: Christina Lauren

The Wednesday Post (15)

Posted June 26, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tessa over at Wishful Endings and it was based on Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

I decided that I’m going to do a mashup of the Can’t Wait Wednesday and WWW Wednesday posts here on my blog. I’m bringing them together and calling it The Wednesday Post. Here’s what I’m up to this week.

WWW Wednesday

What did you recently finish reading?

Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs

This book took a lot out of me. The story itself was really good and I was deeply invested in what was going on but I spent most of the book sorely disappointed in people that I have come to love and respect. But it was also in this book that my love and admiration for Mercy Thompson was solidified. Often times, there are series written around a main heroine that everyone and their Mom falls in love with and wants to protect and I don’t get the appeal but not that’s not the case with Mercy. I completely get why everyone in her world loves her. Hell, I love her. I would follow her right off a bridge if she needed me to. She’s that awesome to me. My friend Holly said it best though when she said, “I thought Mercy was going to be a super badass. Like Kate Daniels badass. But she isn’t. She’s just this regular person, trying her best.” and that is exactly why I love Mercy so much. She’s just a mechanic, trying to live her best life and not leave anyone behind. She’s seriously the best.

What are you currently reading?

Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9) by Patricia Briggs

I’ve been trying to catch up with this series all year long and I haven’t gotten anywhere with that goal so the minute that I was done reading all of my May and June review books, I jumped back into this world and I’m not leaving until I’m completely caught up. Also, I’m really glad that I read this book immediately after finishing Night Broken because as mad as I was at a certain Alpha, I’m glad that I didn’t really stew in how mad I was am with him. He kind of made up for some (not all) of the shit that he put me through in the last book but he’s still got a ways to go before I’ll be completely over all of the shenanigans he let his ex-wife and his pack get away with.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs
Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs

Like I said earlier, I’m determined to be completely caught up on this series so that I can work on other series that I’ve been itching to read. I’m really enjoying the time that I’m spending in this world so I’ll be reading these two books next before jumping back into my review pile for next month. Wish me luck!

Can’t Wait Wednesday
The Wednesday Post (15)Twice in a Blue Moon
by Christina Lauren
Published by Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books on October 22, 2019
Genres: Romance, Contemporary
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Unhoneymooners and the “delectable, moving” (Entertainment Weekly) My Favorite Half-Night Stand comes a modern love story about what happens when your first love reenters your life when you least expect it…

Sam Brandis was Tate Jones’s first: Her first love. Her first everything. Including her first heartbreak.

During a whirlwind two-week vacation abroad, Sam and Tate fell for each other in only the way that first loves do: sharing all of their hopes, dreams, and deepest secrets along the way. Sam was the first, and only, person that Tate—the long-lost daughter of one of the world’s biggest film stars—ever revealed her identity to. So when it became clear her trust was misplaced, her world shattered for good.

Fourteen years later, Tate, now an up-and-coming actress, only thinks about her first love every once in a blue moon. When she steps onto the set of her first big break, he’s the last person she expects to see. Yet here Sam is, the same charming, confident man she knew, but even more alluring than she remembered. Forced to confront the man who betrayed her, Tate must ask herself if it’s possible to do the wrong thing for the right reason… and whether “once in a lifetime” can come around twice.

With Christina Lauren’s signature “beautifully written and remarkably compelling” (Sarah J. Maas, New York Times bestselling author) prose and perfect for fans of Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner, Twice in a Blue Moon is an unforgettable and moving novel of young love and second chances.

Christina Lauren has been doing a great job of writing contemporary romances lately and I’m here for all of their releases. I have enjoyed the last few books they released and I have every faith that I’m going to enjoy this one as well. This book comes on out October 22nd so you’ll want to mark your calendars…this promises to be another winner from the dynamic writing duo.

So, what are you reading this week? Anything good? Anything that you want to rant about?
Are you looking forward to Twice in a Blue Moon? What other books are you looking forward to releasing this year?

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Book Boyfriend: Reid Campbell from My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Posted December 14, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

This feature keeps changing because I’m trying different things out but I think I’m going to stick with this format from here on out. Thanks for coming along this ride until I figure out what the hell I want to do here. LOL.

Book Boyfriend: Reid Campbell from My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina LaurenMy Favorite Half-Night Stand
by Christina Lauren
Published by Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books on December 4, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads

By the New York Times bestselling author who “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly), My Favorite Half-Night Stand is a laugh-out-loud romp through online dating and its many, many fails.

Millie Morris has always been one of the guys. A UC Santa Barbara professor, she’s a female-serial-killer expert who’s quick with a deflection joke and terrible at getting personal. And she, just like her four best guy friends and fellow professors, is perma-single.

So when a routine university function turns into a black tie gala, Mille and her circle make a pact that they’ll join an online dating service to find plus-ones for the event. There’s only one hitch: after making the pact, Millie and one of the guys, Reid Campbell, secretly spend the sexiest half-night of their lives together, but mutually decide the friendship would be better off strictly platonic.

But online dating isn’t for the faint of heart. While the guys are inundated with quality matches and potential dates, Millie’s first profile attempt garners nothing but dick pics and creepers. Enter “Catherine”—Millie’s fictional profile persona, in whose make-believe shoes she can be more vulnerable than she’s ever been in person. Soon “Catherine” and Reid strike up a digital pen-pal-ship...but Millie can’t resist temptation in real life, either. Soon, Millie will have to face her worst fear—intimacy—or risk losing her best friend, forever.

Perfect for fans of Roxanne and She’s the Man, Christina Lauren’s latest romantic comedy is full of mistaken identities, hijinks, and a classic love story with a modern twist. Funny and fresh, you’ll want to swipe right on My Favorite Half-Night Stand.

This week’s boyfriend was my favorite part of his book. I adored getting to know him and I was super happy when he finally got his happily ever after in the end because it wasn’t easy in coming. Reid was such a normal guy with normal problems and fears. He wasn’t this super alpha-hole that dominated the hell out of the heroine. He was her best friend and he loved her most out of everyone. Even when things didn’t work out the way that he hoped, he still loved her and was so normal about it all.

Postsex, I feel like a well-used glove, a warm blanket, a body pillow. Soft and warm and sated. But inside, somewhere deeper, I’m a knot of angst. I want Millie. I think I’m falling in love with her. And she just does not see me that way at all.

There is much to recommend Reid Campbell. He’s a professor, he’s a lovable nerd who is good to the people in his life. He was always there for friends and he was extremely protective of those he loved. He was smart and funny and so sweet, I just loved him to pieces.

The way he smiles up at me is the same way he always looks at me: like there is nowhere else he’d rather be.

You know that saying, “Find you a man that looks at you the way…”? Well, find you a man that looks at you the way that Reid looks at Millie. Like there is nowhere else he’d rather be. Those are the good ones.

The thing about Reid is that everyone knows a Reid. He’s not some super perfect human who is unattainable. He’s the guy next door that helps you bring up the trashcans on trash day. He’s the guy that stops and holds the elevator door so you don’t have to wait 16 floors for the next one. He wasn’t out there trying to hook up with as many women as he could because he could, he was having quiet nights in with his best friend, listening to her problems and falling in love with her. We all know a Reid. We all love a Reid.

“I love you, too.” He punctuates each small phrase with a kiss lower on my throat. “All of you. The silly, the quiet, the argumentative, the sarcastic, and even this side.” He kisses my shoulder. “The softer side.”

Reid’s book My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren is problematic as hell but the writing is still super good. These authors have a way of pissing me off and then making everything all better in the end. Reid is a huge reason why I loved this book and I just love him so. If you’re looking for a hot nerdy professor hero falling in love with his best friend, pick this one up. It’s good, I promise.

Hero Casting

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

So who is your book boyfriend of the week? Someone new or an old favorite? Have you met Reid Campbell yet? If so, do you love him as much as I do? Share in the comments!

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Can’t Wait Wednesday: My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina Lauren

Posted September 19, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and it was based on the meme Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Can’t Wait Wednesday: My Favorite Half Night Stand by Christina LaurenMy Favorite Half-Night Stand
by Christina Lauren
Published by Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books on December 4, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 400
Add It: Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author that “hilariously depicts modern dating” (Us Weekly) comes a sexy romantic comedy about online dating, and its many, many fails.

With a world-famous speaker at their university, Mille Morris and her four woefully single male colleagues make a pact that they’ll all find dates. Unfortunately, Millie has more success helping them make matches online than she does navigating the onslaught of lewd pics in her own feed. But when she creates a fictional name for a new account, Millie finds herself vying for the online attention of a man she sees every day in the flesh.

I really like Christina Lauren’s writing style. Their hate to lovers stories that I’ve read was a lot of fun and I’m hoping for more of the same with this release. I love the simplicity of the cover, the font used and the colors. Everything about the cover works for me because I can use my own imagination for everything and I like the text bubbles because I’m hopeful we’ll get a lot of text writing between the hero and the heroine. Fingers crossed.

Also on the long list of things that work for me where this book is concerned, I’m a fan of that summary.

But when she creates a fictional name for a new account, Millie finds herself vying for the online attention of a man she sees every day in the flesh.

A catfish novel? Yesssss, I can’t wait! This book comes out on December 4th and I have already pre-ordered my copy, have you?

Pre-Order the Book

My Favorite Half-Night Stand by Christina Lauren
Releases on December 4, 2018
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Books

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Book Boyfriend: Josh Im from Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

Posted September 7, 2018 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 8 Comments

This feature keeps changing because I’m trying different things out and I haven’t decided on which format to keep. Thanks for coming along this ride until I figure out what the hell I want to do here. LOL.

Book Boyfriend: Josh Im from Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina LaurenJosh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
by Christina Lauren
Published by Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books on September 4, 2018
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating First Person
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Add It: Goodreads
five-stars

Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

I read a lot of books last week and my favorite guy from all of the books that I read was Josh Im from Josh & Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren.

So he’s my book boyfriend for this week.

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

I have a thing for hot guys who are quiet, reserved and serious. I definitely have a thing for Josh Im. Like Hazel, I had an immediate crush on him because he checked every box on my crush list. Hot Asian guys are my jam right now. Of course, I loved Josh for more than just because he’s a hot Asian guy. He was super sweet and I loved that he accepted crazy Hazie as she was and didn’t expect her to change for anything or anyone. I loved that he was open to new experiences and that he was super loyal to Hazel when others tried to tame the wildness in her or make her feel bad for being who she was.

He was just so awesome and honestly, we need more Josh Ims in the world.

This book was a lot of fun. It kept me laughing from beginning to end and while Hazel was the funny one of this pair, the stuff that Josh got himself into because of Hazel was a lot of fun to read about. I laughed through every single one of their dates (I can’t even choose a favorite date either, they were all great), my heart hurt when Josh decides that he loves Hazel and is unsure about how she feels for him. The insecurity, the self-doubt all made me want to cuddle him close.

Hero Casting

When I started reading this book, I immediately casted both Hazel and Josh in my head. Josh reminded me of Jung from Kim’s Convenience, a Canadian show that I watched on Netflix and Hazel reminded me so much of Jessica Day from New Girl so, throughout the entire book, it was those two that I saw in my head. I adore Jung and think he makes the perfect Josh Im.

If you’re looking for a fun book to jump into, I would definitely recommend this one. You’ll want to drool over Josh Im with me, for sure. 🙂

Have you read this book? If so, did you enjoy it as much as I did and love Josh as much as I did? Who is your book boyfriend of the week?

five-stars

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Buddy Review: Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren

Posted July 12, 2017 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Buddy Review: Dating You, Hating You by Christina LaurenDating You / Hating You
by Christina Lauren
Published by Simon & Schuster, Gallery Books on June 6th, 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Point of View:Alternating First Person
Pages: 350
Format: eBook
Source: Gifted
Add It: Goodreads
four-stars

All’s fair in love and work. The first standalone romance by New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard) is a sexy, compulsively readable romantic comedy that dives headlong into the thrill and doubt of modern love.

Despite the odds against them from an embarrassing meet-awkward at a mutual friend’s Halloween party, Carter and Evie immediately hit it off. Even the realization that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood isn’t enough to squash the fire.

But when their two agencies merge—causing the pair to vie for the same position—all bets are off. What could have been a beautiful, blossoming romance turns into an all-out war of sabotage. Carter and Evie are both thirtysomething professionals—so why can’t they act like it?

Can Carter stop trying to please everyone and see how their mutual boss is really playing the game? Can Evie put aside her competitive nature long enough to figure out what she really wants in life? Can their actor clients just be something close to human? Whether these two Hollywood love/hatebirds get the storybook Hollywood ending or just a dramedy of epic proportions, you will get to enjoy Christina Lauren’s heartfelt, raucous, and hilarious romance style at its finest.

Rowena: This month’s buddy review with my book bestie, Bookish Ames is Dating You, Hating You by Christina Lauren. I have never tried anything by Christina Lauren before and Ames thought that I should so I started my reading journey through Christina Lauren’s backlist with this one.

Dating You, Hating You follows Carter and Evie as they try to figure out how to be together while working together. They had their first date and it went well so they both were looking forward to seeing where dating would take them but when they show up for work on Monday, they find out that their companies have merged and they are now competing against each other to keep their jobs.

Lots and lots of shenanigans happen and overall, I enjoyed the book even though it wasn’t the most original of plots.

What did you think, Ames?

Ames: I agree. After their super meet cute (I loved how they met) and the sabotage shenanigans started I was reminded of the Hating Game by Sally Thorne. But you know what? I think that dynamic works for me. It creates a believable tension and it’s funny to see two characters match wits with each other. I do have a confession though. I never read the blurb for this book, so going into it blind, I thought it was a New Adult. haha Whoops. So when I started reading about a 30 year old woman I was like “WTF?”

Anyway. Speaking of Evie. I really liked her character. She lives in LA and works for an agency representing actors and actresses. For all that that industry puts a focus on looks, I liked Evie’s confidence. She didn’t focus on her looks and was all about getting the job done. And done well. She was great at her job. So I felt her frustration when her boss kept giving her the short end of the stick. And Carter was a good character too. He definitely had some growth happening with his character. Especially in regards to the sexism in their office. But he grew. And he was cute. These two really learned a lot about each other when they were fighting.

Rowena: I thought their Harry Potter meet-up was cute, too. There were lots of similarities between The Hating Game and Dating You, Hating You but the stories had enough differences that I had no problem enjoying them separately.

LOL, after seeing the cover, I thought it was a New Adult book but not after reading the blurb.

Like you, I enjoyed both Evie and Carter. I liked that Evie never questioned her worth at work once Carter came on board. She knew that she was good but she also knew that being a woman would not benefit her the way being a man benefited Carter. Her frustration was real to me and I even liked the way that Carter felt her frustration and understood it as well. I like the tension between them at work because they sure did light the sheets up after work. Haha.

I liked that in this story, Evie and Carter had already started dating and wanted to continue dating but didn’t know how to go about that in the new circumstances that they found themselves in. I liked that the conflict for Carter was about how to make it work with Evie because he wanted to. Because he really liked her.

This book was a lot of fun and I’m definitely going to read more from this author.

Any gripes?

Ames: Before I get into gripes, I want to talk about the secondary characters. Evie and Carter each had their own friends who I felt were flushed out characters that they had real interactions with. Evie getting upset over Carter’s shenanigans? Her friends would come over and help her drown her sorrows. Carter had friends that were a married couple that were always inserting themselves into his situation with Evie in a good way. Even Carter’s brother had a little bit of a story arc going on. I really liked how these characters made this a fuller story.

Now my gripe. As I’m reading this book, published in 2017, I had a very real WHAT THE FUCK moment over some racism that was very casually and VERY uselessly inserted into this story. There’s a scene at a party when one of Carter and Evie’s coworker made a reference to her and Evie being Eskimo sisters.

WTF

I haven’t heard this term before but I didn’t feel good reading it in that context. In Canada, we do not use the term Eskimo. We refer to our Northern brothers and sisters as Inuit. Second, the meaning behind this term (look it up on Urban Dictionary if you haven’t heard of it before) – its demeaning to Inuit people and to women. I was shocked to see this and it definitely pulled me out of the story. And I wonder how the editor/publisher didn’t flag this? I felt like the context in which this term was used was pretty useless to the story.

I don’t feel like this term was used in a malicious way, I think it just may be an awareness (or lack of awareness) issue on the authors’ behalf. Consider this a teachable moment and do better going forward.

What about you, any issues with story?

Rowena: I agree with you about the secondary characters. I enjoyed Evie and Carter’s friends and Carter’s brother. I liked that they had their own people and weren’t always in each other’s pockets and that those people felt real and fleshed out. I also liked that they had a friend in common, who didn’t want to take sides and was on both of their teams.

I was completely ignorant of that saying “Eskimo sisters” before you told me but in the context that it’s used in the book, I agree that it is racist and that it didn’t move the story along or add anything to the story as a whole so it wasn’t necessary to use.

As for me, aside from that, I can’t say that I had any gripes with the book. It was entertaining, the characters were well written and the romance was pretty steamy. All of that makes for a happy Rowena so, all in all, this was a great first book for me. I would give this one a 4 out of 5. You?

Ames: I agree with your rating, 4 out of 5. Despite that one WTF moment, I was really happy with the story overall. I liked the humor over the shenanigans and even the dog! Great characters and loved their sexual tension.

four-stars

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